Saoirse Ronan's Star Wars Episode VII Audition Included Lightsabers

What do you picture in your mind when you read about the plethora of actors allegedly going in for auditions on J.J. Abrams cloaked-in-secret Star Wars: Episode VII? Does it involve actors miming an escape from a Sarlacc pit or acting as if they’re standing aboard a ship that’s being attacked? Surely Abrams & Co. aren’t letting actors run around with lightsabers, are they? They are! Well, they’re at least pretending to, according to Empire and Saorise Ronan, the Host actress who was rumored to have recently read for a role in the film. Not only has she confirmed the audition, but also mentioned that the tryout involved acting as if she was handling one of the most famous weapons in sci-fi history.

So what does this mean? Nothing, really, since for all we know, Ronan was just auditioning for a role in a fake commercial that Abrams is going to have someone watch for a split second in the background of a cantina in the middle of the movie. But it’s nice knowing nothing at this point, because speculation can and does run rampant. But it’s how she brings It up that gives us an interesting clue.

“Even if I don’t get it,” she said during The Empire Film Podcast, “I had so much fun auditioning, pretending to take out a lightsaber – out of a bag, kind of inspect it and not know what it is. That was…that was great. A lightsaber! Star Wars!”

Besides envying her jubilation to pretend to hold a lightsaber as a means of trying to get a job, what one pays attention to is saying that she inspected it without knowing what it is. So we can probably rule her out the idea that her would-be character is a Jedi Knight. Perhaps this means she wouldn’t be a daughter of any of the original films’ character, as we'd assume any child of Luke, Leia or Han would grow up knowing the legends of the Jedi. But, still, it has to be an important part.

Confirming that she auditioned for the movie, Ronan said on the Podcast, “I mean, everyone did. Everyone has auditioned for it. So many people I know have gone in for the part I’ve gone in for, and guys who’ve gone in for a particular part, so I’d imagine J.J. is probably just scanning the Earth to find the people that he needs.”

It’s interesting that this role is being considered so carefully. I’m sure they all will be, but when the casting rumors themselves are the things we hear about, confirmation that one or two roles are being singled out is worth noting.

You know what would be a better hint? The blade color of the lightsaber she was pretending to inspect.

While you wait for the next Star Wars tidbit, you can listen to the whole podcast below.